“It’s nothing,” he insists.

  “Can we get some help? Some help for your new Alpha? Anybody? Come on, people.” I call out, doing my best impression of Grandma. What would she do in this situation? She’d kick some ass. That’s what she’d do. My words are enough to get a few people running and soon there’s a doctor of some sort looking at Nash and stitching him up and another person is washing his body and someone else is checking for broken bones.

  And I’m holding him.

  He did it.

  He’s the Alpha now and he’s mine.

  21.

  Nash

  Everything hurts as Ryder helps me stand.

  He pulls me in for a hug and murmurs in my ear, “That was too close.”

  I nod, knowing he’s right. For a moment, we all thought I was lost. For a moment, Jeffrey got too close. Now I stand and look out over the crowd. My pack stands here, waiting for me to make a speech. They’re staring at their new Alpha. Some are hopeful, some are pained. Some look like they’re hurting. Some probably want me to leave.

  A few look like they’ve been waiting for this day.

  We all have.

  A few guys begin to move Jeffrey’s corpse and I know they’ll handle burial. He was evil, but they don’t need to deal with that right now. Most of them know. What the pack needs now is a new chance. What they need is hope. What they need is the understanding that I’m going to get them through whatever we have to face.

  “The Silent Canines has been my family for as long as I can remember,” I say, standing up straight. There’s still a bit of blood oozing out of my arm and I’ve been stitched up the middle, but I can stand. Sort of. I just never thought I’d be giving this speech naked.

  Like magic, Aunt Germaine appears and wraps a blanket around me. I kiss her cheek softly.

  “Thank you, Auntie,” I murmur. She’s always looked after me. Now it’s time for me to look after her. She steps back to the crowd, next to Red, and I continue speaking, knowing all eyes are on me.

  Perhaps for the first time, I don’t feel nervous at all.

  This is exactly where I’m supposed to be: leading my pack.

  “Things have been hard for a long time, and I’ll be the first to say I haven’t always been perfect. Most of you remember many of my unfortunate mistakes growing up.” A giggle spreads throughout the crowd, and I know I’ve got their attention.

  “But things are different now and I’m not a little pup anymore. I can’t blame my mistakes on youthful ignorance or simply as part of growing up. I need to own them, so hear this now: I should have challenged Jeffrey a long time ago.

  “When Elise died,” a hush falls. They all loved her just as much as I did. “I should have stepped up. I should have challenged the Alpha. I should have stood up for what was right, but I didn’t. Why not? I was scared. I was scared and I was sad and I was hurting, but that time has passed. The time for mourning is over.

  “It’s a new day, Silent Canines. The threat of Jeffrey leading us to war against Nightfall, one of our longest friends, is over. The threat of being killed for disagreeing is over. The threat of pain is gone. Things will be different now. I am the Alpha. I am your leader. I will not always be perfect, but I will guide you, help you, and protect you. Hear me now.”

  I throw the blanket off and shift into my wolf form. I let out a long, high-pitched howl. Around me, other members of the pack are stripping, shifting, and howling. Even the cubs shift. Soon, only Red is standing, watching us with curiosity, and if I’m not mistaken, she’s looking at me with a whole lot of pride.

  Oh yeah, that’s my girl.

  The howls mean the pack has accepted me as their new Alpha. I told them I wouldn’t be perfect, and I meant it, but I do know that things are never going to be as bad as they were with Jeffrey as their leader.

  The howls continue for a few minutes, then we all shift back slowly.

  “Tomorrow at dawn,” I tell them. “We will run.” When a new Alpha takes control of a pack, he needs to do a few things to establish his presence. This looks different in every pack, of course. In mine, it’s going to mean early morning runs a few days each week to help us bond. Maybe we’ll hunt or swim, but we’ll at least go out together, explore, get some air. We’ll bond. We’ll grow closer.

  A few shifters approach and hug me or slap me on the shoulder. A few older wolves I’ve known since I was a boy nod appreciatively. One older woman who must be nearly 80 gives me a tight squeeze.

  “Proud of you, boy,” she says, holding up her cane at me. “Always knew ya had it in ya.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Beaver,” I say, taking her hand. “I won’t let you down.”

  She grins and moves on, and I hope I can keep my promise. With Red by my side, with her support, I know I can accomplish anything.

  I can reach all of my dreams.

  Slowly, the crowd thins and almost everyone returns to their quarters. Most of the pack lives in the tunnel of underground caves we’ve created over the last few decades, but a few with families have their own homes outside of the forest. Jeffrey always hated it and even kicked a few wolves out of the pack for it, but I’ll send word as soon as possible that they’re welcome back.

  Right now, though, I just want my girl. I just want to celebrate with her. Soon everyone is gone but Aunt Germaine and Red.

  “I’m glad you’re home, son,” my aunt says, wrapping her arms around me. I fight a groan as she squeezes me close. I may have won the battle, but Jeffrey got more than a few good hits in. I kiss Aunt Germaine on the forehead before she looks to Red and back at me. “She’s a keeper,” my aunt says, and then she disappears into the cave.

  Now it’s just Red and me.

  Now we’re alone.

  Finally, I wrap my arms around her, and to my surprise, she bursts into tears.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” I murmur, holding her tighter.

  “You could have died,” she whispers. “You could have died and I would have been all alone with him.” I can tell Red is worn out and getting tired. To be honest, I don’t blame her. It’s been a hell of a night. Forget that: it’s been a hell of a month.

  “I didn’t die, baby. I didn’t die.” I hold her then. The full moon shines bright, but not as bright as my love for this girl.

  That’s when I realize that I’ve never asked her and I need to. I need to make this real. I have the pack and we’ve got a long road ahead of us, but I need Red by my side.

  “Scarlett,” I whisper, and suddenly my throat feels dry. Suddenly, I feel like I’m going to die if I don’t get these words out soon. I’ve come so close to death, fought so hard, and I’m tired. Scarlett, though, she gives me everything I need to keep going.

  She’s my stars and my light.

  She’s my path.

  “Marry me,” I murmur, so quietly that I’m not sure she heard me. Her body tenses, though, and I realize that she definitely, absolutely heard me.

  “I need you, Scarlett. You’re everything to me. I waited so long to face my demons. I was in that cabin for so long just grieving, just trying to find a way to keep on living, but I couldn’t find my way until you came into my life.”

  “Nash…”

  “Hear me out,” I whisper.

  “No,” she says, and my heart sinks. I release her and just stand there awkwardly.

  So this is it.

  I am a king without a queen.

  I am a lord without a lady.

  I am a duke without a duchess.

  I am a man with half a heart.

  As much as I want the Silent Canines, I don’t know if I can do it without her. I don’t know if I have the strength on my own to be who they need me to be.

  Scarlett gives me the faith that I can conquer everything.

  She gives me the peace I need to stay centered.

  And then, just when I’m drowning in despair, just when I think things can’t get any worse, she starts to talk. I try to quickly prepare myself for the heartache I’m about to feel, but she surprises me.

  “No,” she repeats. “Don’t keep going. You’re tired, and hurt, and you’ve had a long day,” I look up at her. What’s she saying? “I don’t want you to hurt yourself or overexert yourself anymore. I’m going to need you around for a long time and I’m going to need you to be at your best.”

  “You mean-”

  “Of course, I’ll marry you, baby,” she whispers.

  Suddenly, my whole world is whole.

  Scarlett kisses me and my eyes light up and go bright.

  This was just what I needed. Everything she said, everything she’s talking about. We’re in this together and I don’t know why I doubted her because she is so freaking mine.

  I fist her hair and pull her closer. I can’t get enough of this girl. I need her so much that it hurts. Knowing she wants the same thing I do, knowing she’s here to stay, it just lights up my world.

  “It’s not going to be easy,” I warn her quietly. There’s a chance she might not want all the drama that comes with running a wolf pack. Jeffrey is gone, but he was an evil overlord for a long time. There are a lot of changes that need to be made and a lot of shifters won’t be happy about everything I plan to do.

  Overhauls are never easy.

  New management often sucks.

  “I know,” she says. “I don’t expect it to be easy. I just expect us to be together through the hard times.”

  “With you by my side? I know we’ll be able to get through anything.”

  She kisses me again, softly this time, gently, and I pick her up, bride-style.

  “Nash,” she laughs. “Put me down! You’re going to get hurt.” I start to carry her toward the entrance to the cave, but a pair of glowing yellow eyes catch my attention.

  “Baby,” I set her down softly. “Do me a favor. Go on ahead in the cave. Wait for me in the lobby. There’s going to be a lot going on there. Have someone make you a drink, okay?”

  “Nash?” She sounds worried. “Is everything all right?”

  “It’s okay. I just have to take care of something before we go to my quarters.”

  “Okay,” she whispers, and takes a few timid, but brave steps toward the cave. Once she’s inside, I turn back to the eyes and raise an eyebrow.

  A man emerges from the darkness. He’s taller than me and more muscular. His skin is darker than mine, but just because we’re different, doesn’t mean we’re strangers.

  No, this is a man I know well.

  “You did a good job tonight,” he says.

  “Thanks, brother.” I embrace Jordan in a not-very-masculine-hug and hold him tight for a moment before releasing him. “It’s been a long time.”

  “Too long,” he agrees. He stands there for a moment and looks up at the moon. I join him. The idea that werewolves have to howl during a full moon is a myth, but damn, it sure feels good to let that line shine on me.

  I know Jordan feels the same way. There were many times when we ran together as kids in the light of the full moon, making promises we’d never be able to keep.

  Well, looks like now, I’ll be able to keep at least some of those promises.

  “I can’t thank you enough for stopping him before he gathered the troops to come to Nightfall,” Jordan says, and I turn back to him.

  “You knew,” I say.

  He nods slowly.

  “How?”

  “I have my ways,” he says, which is about as clear as him saying, “You have a mole.” It doesn’t matter, though. There is no need for a mole anymore. I plan to have open communication with Jordan from here on out. The leader of the Nightfall pack doesn’t have anything to fear from me. We were close as kids and now we’ll lead our packs side-by-side.

  “I don’t expect a merger,” I say, clearing the air, but he just nods. Jordan is a man of few words, but I respect him.

  “That’s some girl you got,” he says. “You’re a lucky bastard, Nash. Lucky indeed.” I can’t argue with Jordan on that. He’s right. Red is pretty damn amazing.

  I want to tell Jordan that he’ll find someone someday, but that’s a touchy subject, so I let it go. I look back up at the moon, and when I turn back, Jordan is gone. He’s quiet, that one, but he has to be. I can learn a lot about being Alpha from Jordan. He’s hard on his pack, but they’re good wolves, and I know my crew can be just as good someday.

  For now, though, I have some kissing to do, so I go inside the cave.

  My cave.

  22.

  Red

  I’m exhausted when I finally find my way into the innermost area of the cave. There was a long tunnel lit with wall lamps that reminded me of a medieval dungeon. Now I’m standing in a center room and I’m more than a little relieved to be around shifters who look like real, actual, clothed people.

  Everyone is laughing and celebrating. Drinks are being passed around and someone is frying some meat. It smells delicious, but as I stand alone, I realize that I don’t know a single person here, save Thorn and Ryder.

  Luckily, they come over to me almost immediately and begin introducing me as the Alpha’s mate.

  “But we aren’t married yet,” I tell Ryder, and he just waves it off.

  “You basically are,” he says. “Nash has claimed you. That makes you his mate.”

  I realize that I have a lot to learn about wolf culture, but I don’t worry too much about it. It’s not long before Nash joins us and whisks me off to his quarters. His old room has already been reassigned to someone, but he says that he’ll sleep in the Alpha’s quarters.

  “Jeffrey’s old room?” I ask, and Nash nods reluctantly.

  “It’s tradition,” he says. “I know it’s totally weird. I’m sorry. It’s one thing old Mrs. Beaver isn’t going to budge on.”

  “It’s fine,” I insist. We get to the room and he unlocks the door with a silver key that hangs around his neck. I didn’t even notice him getting it. I wonder if he took it from Jeffrey or if someone else was holding it. Either way, we step into the room and I gasp.

  It’s beautiful.

  “A few of the ladies came in while we were being congratulated,” he explains. “They cleaned the place up pretty quickly. Jeffrey’s things have been put in storage, but they’re yours if you want them,” he says quickly.

  I just shake my head.

  “No way,” I say. “This is my fresh start.” Things have been rough for a long time, but I’m ready for something new.

  Looking around the room, I try to take it all in. I can see why Nash calls it the Alpha’s “quarters.” It really is more of a suite than anything else. At the front of the room is a sitting area and a kitchen. It’s not a huge kitchen, but there’s a stove, which is nice. Towards the back is a bed that’s big enough for at least four people. I can’t imagine why we’d need a bed so big, but I bet we’re both going to sleep great.

  To the right, I can see the bathroom. I don’t even want to go in there. Chances are, it’s bigger than my old apartment and more beautiful to boot. My favorite thing of all, though, is the hot tub in the room. Yes, in the room. In the back left corner, there’s a huge hot tub that I could just sink into.

  Maybe another night, though.

  Right now, I want a long, hot shower with Nash.

  I take his hand and close the door to the room, then kiss him.

  “Follow me,” I say, and lead him into the bathroom. I gasp as we enter. It’s even more amazing than I imagined it would be, but before I can stare too much, he pulls me close to himself.

  “There will be plenty of time to ooh and ah over the room, darling,” he whispers. “Tonight is for us, though. Tonight is for us.”

  Nash wastes no time in stripping me down with reckless abandon. My clothes all end up in a pile on the floor. Soon I’m naked on the counter and without hesitation, he thrusts into me. I cry out, running my nails down his chest, then his back. He bites and sucks on my neck as he kisses me.

  Nash is wild, feral. He might be a little bloodthirsty and on a bit of a power trip after tonight, but I don’t care. The sex is amazing. He takes me like he’s never taken me before, like he owns every bit of my body, because the truth is that he does.

  Nash is mine, but I’m also his.

  Totally, completely his.

  “I need you baby,” he murmurs, and I bite his shoulder, encouraging him. My arms wrap tightly around him and I whisper sweet nothings, lusty little words to make him keep fucking me. He takes me like this is the most important thing in the world, and in this moment, it is.

  He thrusts hard and fast, plunging to my core. My body tightens around him and I feel my orgasm bubbling inside of me. Nash licks my neck, bites my hear, tells me I’m his. All it takes is a soft flick of his fingers between my legs to make me fall apart in his arms. Waves of pleasure cover me. This is what I’ve been waiting for. I cry out, oblivious to the fact that wolves have great hearing and the whole pack can likely hear us.

  Our lovemaking is quick, but passionate. He comes on my stomach, marking me. I run my finger through the juices and lick my hand slowly, like a little cat. He growls and dives down, licking my pussy as I’m eating his come. Soon I’m the one coming undone on the counter, crying out as I climax on his face.

  While I’m still woozy from the orgasm, still a bit dizzy with lust, he carries me into the walk-in shower and sits down on the bench, holding me in his lap. He adjusts the water and it rains down on us while he’s holding me.

  I’ve never felt so safe, so secure, so valued.

  I’ve never felt so perfect or so alive.

  “Nash,” I whisper.

  “Yes, baby?”

  “I love you.” He’s the only man I’ve ever whispered those words to, the only one I’ve ever wanted to tell. I love him. He saved me and he didn’t have to. He rescued me. He gave me a reason to live.

  “I love you, too, Scarlett,” he whispers.

  When I walked into the dark of the forest, I didn’t know what to expect. I thought I might find death and destruction, but love?

  Well, that’s a fairy tale come true.